


Reconnaissance Mission

by TheThirdTemptationOfParis



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 13x13 coda, Episode: s13e13 Devil's Bargain, Established Gabriel/Sam Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Rescue, because it was easier that way, i took some liberties, just let them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 04:54:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13651842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheThirdTemptationOfParis/pseuds/TheThirdTemptationOfParis
Summary: Ketch tells the boys about Gabriel’s predicament. Sam cannot abide by his angel being kept and tortured.





	Reconnaissance Mission

Ketch looks the boys over, and Sam can see him almost literally biting his tongue, second guessing his words, “Asmodeus has the archangel Gabriel in his possession. Quite literally, I believe.”

Sam’s hand twitches. If Ketch is lying, he will smack the pompous accent right out of his mouth. Gabriel. _His_ Gabriel. _Alive_ after eight years, “Ketch,” he starts, only to be cut off. 

“I’m not lying to you, Winchester. He’s down there. And he’s in a bad way.”

Sam looks to Dean, who’s looking at Ketch, skeptical, “Gabriel has been dead since that God fight at Elysian Fields eight years ago.” He looks over at Sam, regretful sadness in his eyes, “There’s no way. Lucifer shanked him with the archangel blade. Wings burned on the floor, everything.”

Sam flinches at the mention of Gabriel’s wings seared into the floor, the image flickering behind his eyes, tearing his heart just that much more. 

“It would seem that he made the same deal your angel did. At least that’s my guess. Asmodeus intends to have him use the archangel blade on Lucifer, since the thing itself can only be handled by another archangel.”

Sam holds up a hand, “Wait, Asmodeus has the archangel blade?”

“Indeed he does. Quite a dangerous combination, if you ask me.” 

“Ketch, can you get Gabriel out?” Sam asks, hopeful. _Please_ let there be a way. _I’ll rip Hell apart with my bare hands, if I have to._

Ketch sucks in a breath through his teeth, “The lock isn’t mine for the picking. At least not with Asmodeus present.”

Sam clenches his fist and worries his bottom lip with his teeth, “We have to get him out of there. As much as he and Lucifer have fought through the millennia, Gabriel doesn’t have the heart to kill him. He practically raised him. He won’t be able to.”

Dean shakes his head, “Sam, it’s been almost a decade. Lucifer stabbed first. I think Gabriel might be itching for a bit of revenge by now.”

Sam runs a hand through his hair, “Dean, I know him. He won’t kill his brother.”

“You knew him, Sam. Some time in the Empty may have changed him,” Dean says, trying to make a point that was moot to Sam.

“Sam’s right, Dean,” Cas says, “Gabriel was always overprotective of Lucifer. When he betrayed all of us, it affected Gabriel the most, but he never sought revenge. It’s just not in him.”

“We have to get him out of there. I will march through Hell myself if I have to.”

Ketch looks resigned for a moment before shrugging, “By all means, follow me.”

***

His last foray in Hell was barely remembered but one thing he could never forget was the dank smell of the walls. Ketch leads him through the labyrinth, staying in the shadows, “Asmodeus is gone. If he were still here he would have called on me the moment I stepped through the portal. He’s one needy son of a bitch.”

When they entered what Sam guesses could be considered a throne room, everything starts to feel real. Gabriel has been in this place for God knows how long, probably tortured if Ketch’s allusions tell him anything.

“You’re angel is in there,” Ketch says, pointing to a warded iron door. Great. Physical locks as well as magical ones.

Sam slides back the cover of the grating in the door and the breath is immediately stolen from his lungs, “ _Gabriel_ ,” he whispers, and the angel slowly raises his head, a look of pure disbelief in his eyes. When their eyes meet, there’s a sudden flood of sound and light in Sam’s head. The note is so absolutely joyous, the light so bright and warm, and the subtlest whisper of Gabriel’s voice, a disbelieving _Sam_. The world rights itself. The door separating them bursts open, a small shock of power flowing from Gabriel to Sam, leaving the angel nearly limp.

“Shit, Gabriel,” Sam whispers as he moves into the cell, carefully keeping his eye on Ketch behind him. He’s in the middle of the room, standing still, watching, seemingly stunned by the slight burst of Gabriel’s power. Sam lightly grasps Gabriel’s face, looking over the damage briefly, “Jesus, angel, what did they do to you?” Carefully, he wraps his arms around the broken angel before him and lifts him, “Ketch, open a different portal. Now. There’s no way we can make that walk back.”

Ketch does as he’s told and turns back to Sam, “Rough me up a bit. Make it look like I had no part in this.”

“There’s no time. Do it yourself,” Sam says as he steps through the portal, a nearly lifeless archangel in his arms.

***

He’s panicking as he opens the door of the bunker, “Dean! Clear the table and get me every first aid kit, now!” he says as he carefully rushes down the stairs, trying his best not to jostle Gabriel. When he lays him down, the only part of him moving is his eyes, scanning Sam’s face, latching onto all the minute changes from the passing years.

_You’re still gorgeous, Samshine._

“Stop doing that,” Sam admonishes, tears choking his throat, “You’re wasting your strength.”

Dean and Cas return, arms full of first aid kits, bandages, and books on healing spells. They set everything down, look at each other, and turn to leave Sam and Gabriel alone.

“I’m going to start by cleaning everything up. I need to see what I’m working with,” Sam says, slipping one of his hands into Gabriel’s, “Squeeze if anything hurts more than it should.”

He sets to work, carefully wiping all the blood and grime away, revealing bruises and cuts of various sizes and depths. Gabriel watches him the entire time, seemingly still reveling in his presence, “I’m going to unwork this stitching, angel. I’m gonna need my hand back. I’ll try to be quick.”

God, the stitching. It’s going to take forever to heal, given Gabriel’s already astronomically low strength. Sam carefully cuts the outer stitches, watching his angel’s face for any sign of major discomfort. He knows it should hurt like hell, but Gabriel is putting up a good front. Slowly, Sam opens Gabriel’s mouth, revealing the inner stitches. Gabriel whimpers. Sam runs a hand through his grimy hair, tracing fingers over his scalp, “I know, Gabe, I know. Almost done.”

He carefully pulled on the undone stitches, Gabriel flinching as the strands come loose. Once the last one is free, Sam stops holding his breath and collapses into one of the chairs, placing his head on the edge of the table. Gabriel’s hand slowly moves across Sam’s back, slowly weaving into his hair. Sam lets himself cry of relief and secondhand pain, “My angel, my angel. I’m so sorry.”

Gabriel lifts Sam’s head and shakes his own. _Not your fault, Samshine. All on my brother._

“I told you to stop doing that.”

_Get me water and I will._

Sam laughs ruefully and does as he’s told. When he returns, he sits Gabriel up and hands him the industrial sized water bottle. _You seem to have forgotten about the holes in my lips, sweetheart._

“Fine, lean back.” 

Ten minutes and half of the water bottle later, Gabriel speaks, “Missed you, Sam-I-Am.”

Sam leans forward and presses a kiss to Gabriel’s forehead, “Missed you too, angel. Do me a favor and never scare the hell out of me like this ever again?”

“When have I ever been able to keep that promise?”

Sam snorts, “Never. At least promise never to do anything stupid without me there?”

“Sam,” Gabriel admonishes, mischief in his eyes. 

“Alright, alright, I get it. You’re a big boy. You can handle yourself.” Sam looks him over for a moment, seeing that some of the wounds are slowly starting to close, “You’re getting stronger.”

Gabriel smiles, grimacing slightly at the still open holes from the stitches, “You forgot, didn’t you? Just being around you makes me stronger. I’ll be right as rain in no time, Sammich.”

Sam gazed at the angel before him fondly, “I missed all of your dumb nicknames.”

“I missed all of you. Period. Eight years was a long time, Sam.”

“It was. Too long. Don’t you ever do that to me again.”

Gabriel smirks, “Kiss me finally, and you have a deal.”

Sam shakes his head and leans in, kissing Gabriel cautiously. Under his lips, he can feel the hum of Gabriel’s growing power, the healing of his vessel. When he pulls back, all that’s left of the stitching is what looks to be long healed scars. 

“Ta-da,” Gabriel whispers, pulling Sam back in for another kiss, “I told you you make me stronger.”

Sam can’t do anything but kiss him more, finally feeling the war writhing within himself settle. His angel is home, and whole. There is nothing on this wretched planet that can stop them now.


End file.
